electrical issue

[FordLover]

We just got slamed with a front yesterday, temps went from in the 70's down to 29 degrees last night, and we actually got snow here.

Anyhow, with the cold weather, every time I start the explorer, I hear a relay clicking, and my 4x4 lights, ABS and brake light, and one other light blink on the dash, and the radio also goes on and off in time with the relay clicking. also none of my dash gauges read, they all sweep to the max then back to zero and stay there. Once the truck warms up, I can reset it by turning the key to start position (while in drive so the starter doesn't engage) and everything goes to normal.

the clicking I hear is coming from a reasonably large black box under the dash on the far left side with a BUNCH of wiring coming out of it. Is this the GEM module I've read so much about?? Obviously the box doesn't like the cold weather.

 

[gsmaclean]

We just got slamed with a front yesterday, temps went from in the 70's down to 29 degrees last night, and we actually got snow here.

Anyhow, with the cold weather, every time I start the explorer, I hear a relay clicking, and my 4x4 lights, ABS and brake light, and one other light blink on the dash, and the radio also goes on and off in time with the relay clicking. also none of my dash gauges read, they all sweep to the max then back to zero and stay there. Once the truck warms up, I can reset it by turning the key to start position (while in drive so the starter doesn't engage) and everything goes to normal.

the clicking I hear is coming from a reasonably large black box under the dash on the far left side with a BUNCH of wiring coming out of it. Is this the GEM module I've read so much about?? Obviously the box doesn't like the cold weather.

I suspect it's your battery. Batteries also don't like cold weather, and your battery which may work entirely satisfactorily at 70 degrees, may not have anywhere near the output and capacity at 29 degrees. Third gen Explorers are notorious for acting up in strange ways when their batteries get old and weak.

The battery has been sitting in the cold, and has limited output. When you start the truck, you deplete the battery even more. Then while the truck warms up, the alternator charges the battery up. When you go to Start again, it interrupts the power to everything except what it needs to actually start the engine until you let go of the key. At that point, the freshly-charged battery has enough juice for everything to run happily again.

That would be my guess, anyway.

 

[High_Order1]

go to your local big box parts store and have them put your vehicle on the tester. That will tell you more. And, make sure the terminals on the battery are clean and grey, no white crusty stuff or looseness.


-Shawn

 

[FordLover]

just an update, since I have a feeling if this happened to my explorer, it could happen to another.

My explorer has been at the dealer for two weeks now, they haven't had any problem duplicating the problem, but can't find what it is. They've verified it's not low voltage, not the instrament cluster, not relays. Have everyone in the shop stumped so far.

 

[prerunner02]

Its the battery just like gsmaclean said. I bet the temp at the shop has not gotten that cold especially by 9 o'clock when they get around to starting it. I custom build handicap vehicles and have seen this many times due to the high electrical load of the equipment.

 

[FordLover]

just an update, since I have a feeling if this happened to my explorer, it could happen to another.

My explorer has been at the dealer for two weeks now, they haven't had any problem duplicating the problem, but can't find what it is. They've verified it's not low voltage, not the instrament cluster, not relays. Have everyone in the shop stumped so far.

Turns out it's been traced to a bad ground in the instrument cluster. When they ground out the cluster to a known good ground, the clicking goes away and it acts normal, remove the ground, and it goes crazy again. I found a few references to clusters going out by searching in google. Evidently it's a rare problem but happens none the less.

the dealer load tested the battery to verify that it wasn't low voltage, and I also checked it back when the problem began, and was reading 12.6 to 12.8 at the battery. Battery is definitely fine.